Chelsea Gallery, Cape Town

In Living in Process, De Wet explores the manner in which humans tend to crave novel experiences. These experiences are collected and form the basis of our perceptions of ourselves and what we want others to see, thus creating a prism that reflects our inner being.

De Wet recalls and reimagines moments of life in these mixed media works in an effort to evaluate the passage of time with perspective. Life is considered as a process in this body of work; it is not only defined by layers of paint and matter that stand in for the layers of the artist’s life experiences, but also by an attitude of introspection that combines a search for the new with an understanding of the old. Concepts of renewal, discarding the old, and making space for growth is emphasized by the processes of layering and use of found objects throughout the body of work.

Through this mixed media practice, De Wet attempts to peel away the layers of her perceptions of herself, dissecting and studying them to understand the process of constructing a life. In doing so, she explores the tension between the quantity versus quality of life experiences and their impact on personal growth and the state of one’s soul.

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Mother earth

Mixed media and found object
40 x 25 cm
2002

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Mamma moenie my oorbeskerm nie

Mixed media and found object
40 x 25 cm
2002

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Recycle

Mixed media and found object
40 x 25 cm
2002

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Obsessive layering

Mixed media, resin on layers of acrylic sheets
100 x 80 cm
2002